Chain whip substitute

Discovered this works pretty well. It's a standard vise grip c clamp, just clamp it between opposite teeth on one of the larger cogs. Don't overdo the clamping force, but got the job done for me in a moment of need and it's all I've used since. Some minor grinding on the clamp tips would make it even better but I haven't bothered yet.

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Last edited by bsieb; 01-27-2013 at 06:45 AM.

The way you know if a man is real is by how well he knows the night sky.

You got that right, too tight is one of my pet peeves, but it happens. You could clamp it in a vise too, if you had a vice. Might trash the cassette but you're putting another one on, right? Shop rags work too if the lock ring isn't too tight.

The way you know if a man is real is by how well he knows the night sky.

If I were going to buy a chain whip I would probably get a vice whip. Chain whips are always a bit of a balancing act so locking on is good. The wrench and lock ring tool can be awkward too. The vise grip works well for me and I have had no trouble with cassette damage, so I have little incentive to buy or make something else. But to each their own, it's all good.

Last edited by bsieb; 01-17-2013 at 07:49 PM.

The way you know if a man is real is by how well he knows the night sky.

Not sure what the big deal is...why not just spend the $15 bucks for a chain whip?

That's what I thought when I first read the thread title. While it's great to have MacGyver skills and be able to improvise in a pinch I can't understand not getting the right tool if you have to use it often and it is inexpensive. Redmr2_man mentioned that an old glove is free but so is a scrap of steel and a chunk of old chain. I could never get mine off with a glove anyway because I do like the cassette lockring tight, one of my pet peeves is vibration noise caused by a loose cassette.

You can also clamp a length of chain (or old chain) in a bench vise and wrap it around the cassette like the miniature human in the picture above me is doing. If you put the wheel between yourself and the bench corner and rotate the wheel backwards to pull the chain tight it works very well. Leaves both hands free, too. That being said, I have a Pedro's vise-whip and a regular ol' chainwhip.

This is elegant in it's simplicity and could be done road or trail side by loosely knotting one end of the chain around a sign post or small tree. Thinking touring/bikepacking here, as I don't know of too many other riders who carry a lock ring tool. I may drill a 3/8" hole through one of the porch posts at the bike house, slip a chain through the hole, nail through the end of the chain. The $15-$40 I saved is irrelevant, if it works well it's one less tool to keep track of. And then there's beer too.

The way you know if a man is real is by how well he knows the night sky.